Poppy Seed
by Jewellight
Summary: It was a beautiful meadow. But also enchanted. Forced by the Twolegs to move, the Clans found this meadow. They were lured in and put under a spell. One apprentice was left behind in the move. StarClan tells her she needs to find five items to save the Clans. But they never told her one thing. To free the ones under the meadows spell, one cat must be put to sleep. Forever.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

It was a meadow.

A beautiful meadow.

The long grass brushed her thighs, still wet from the morning rain. The meadow was covered with poppies, their bright red color attracting her attention. Butterflies floated above the poppies, their wings flapping slowly as they landed on them. Surrounding the meadow were redwood trees, tall and dark. Within the trees, she could hear the songs and calls of many different kinds of birds; a chickadee here, a robin there. She titled her head, listening carefully for the padding of tiny feet on the forest floor. Judging by the sound, there were a lot of prey. A good sign. The azure sky hung over it, dotted with puffy, white clouds. A breeze came, rustling the grass and carrying the scent of the poppies a little closer to her. Their petals fluttered slightly, as the gentle wind passed by.

Her mouth hung open, as she gaped at the beauty of the meadow. It was beautiful, so beautiful. It was like a dream, after they, the Clans, had searched so long. She wasn't even sure how long they had been travelling. 5 moons? 6 moons? She shook her head, it didn't matter right now. She continued staring at the meadow. She could have stayed there all day, staring at it, but a loud yowl snapped her back to reality. She pricked her ears, hearing her clanmates calling for her. She ignored them.

She turned her attention back on the meadow as she surveyed it again. The meadow was big, wide. At least two Clans could live here, maybe even four. They could all share. This could be their new home. _But, _a little voice spoke up at the back of her head; _they would want the meadow all to themselves. Wouldn't they all fight over it? _

She pushed the thought out of her head. She would worry about that later. Right now, she needed to tell the leaders about this. She ran back the way she came, wrenching her gaze from the meadow. "I found something!" She yowled as she ran. She spotted a cat that was getting bigger and bigger as she ran faster. The cat ran up to meet her and she almost crashed into him. She skidded to a halt, sending up dust and leaves. It was her leader. She told him about the meadow, talking extremely fast. Her leader told her to repeat it again, more slowly. She took a deep breath and repeated what she had said. Her leader's eyes widened and asked her to show him the meadow which she talked so excitedly about. She gladly led him and the others to it. When they saw it, they all gasped. Their mouths all hung open the way hers had when she first saw it. "We could all live here." She announced proudly, her eyes shining. They all stood there for a moment. When they broke out of their trance, a cat spoke up, asking the question she dreaded.

"Well, which Clan should get this-"

"We can talk about that later, let us rest first. I'm sure many of the cats are tired, and very hungry and thirsty. We should send some patrols out to search for food and water." One of the other leaders, a silver tabby she-cat, interrupted. "But we don't want to hunt." A cat meowed, voicing their thoughts. "We want to rest, and hunt later." The leader looked hesitant, and then nodded. "Alright, everyone will rest, then we will send patrols to hunt and search for a stream or pond. Anyone disagree?" They all agreed, nodding their heads. She nodded her head along with them. The grass was looking so soft and comfortable, so inviting. She wanted to curl up and go to sleep; right here, right now. She could see her clanmates wanted to do the same. Some cats were already lying down in the grass, closing their eyes, lulled by the scent of the poppies.

It was a beautiful place, this meadow. She laid down and curled up on the ground. The grass seemed to close around her, protecting her, sheltering her. _Go to sleep. _They seemed to whisper. _Nothing will hurt you._ She could smell the poppies clearly now; their scent tickling her nose, sweet and comforting. She sighed, content. She could feel her eyelids closing and she let them, craving the blanket of darkness. The scent of the poppies swirled around her, sending her to sleep. She wanted to sleep and sleep and sleep…. For eternity.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Streams of golden sunlight fell through the gaps in the green canopy of leaves. The forest was quiet, as it is in the times of morning. Far away, the call of a sparrow could be heard. A thrush answered back. A gray squirrel poked its head out of its den, looked around, and retreated silently. A mouse scampered out and nibbled on a red berry that had fallen from its bush.

The young she-cat slowly opened her eyes, waking with the rest of the forest. She yawned, her mouth opening, and showed small, sharp teeth. She groggily stood up and shook some fallen leaves from her pelt. She just stood there for a while, listening to the sounds of the forest; the singing of the birds, the scuttling of prey. She abruptly turned around and started walking east, towards the rising circle of orange and yellow. Soon, the unmistakable trickle of water could be heard. The trees opened up to a large clearing. A small stream was running through the middle of it. The cat knelt down beside it and lapped at the water. It tasted cool and fresh on her tongue.

Sunpaw stared down at the stream, the clear water showing her reflection. A cat stared back at her. The cat had small and delicate features, as well as bright amber eyes. Long, ginger fur covered her face. She blinked and the cat blinked as well. She pulled away.

She began walking, not having a particular destination. Her mind guided her to camp, as always. She could see no one in the clearing right now. That was not surprising, as few cats were up as early as her. She was the odd one, the one who would rather sleep out in the open instead of a den, the one who didn't like killing the animals for prey. After all, she was once a kittypet.

Sunpaw walked to the fresh-kill pile, surprised when there was only four pieces of prey there. The pile was usually brimming with all sorts of prey, robins and sparrows, mice and shrews. But today there was only one measly shrew, two voles, and one thrush. Not much to choose from. She decided on the vole and walked over to the shade of a large oak tree. She ate quietly, keeping her ears pricked for any other cats that might be up. She finished the vole and licked her lips, standing up. The warriors would be out soon, going on patrols. Her mentor would come out with them, and he would take her in the forest to practice fighting and hunting. The kits could come scampering out of the nursery, their mothers chasing after them. The other mentors would go in the apprentices den to call their students. The clearing would be filled with cats, some eating, some talking, and others going out of camp. The camp would be a busy place, and Sunpaw enjoyed the peace and quiet in the mornings, when everyone was asleep.

But it was quiet. Too quiet. Sunpaw glanced around the camp again. Something was wrong. The camp was eerily quiet. Like no one was here at all. Her heart began beating faster. _Don't be stupid. _She told herself. _They're probably asleep in the dens. Yes, that must be it. _Just to be safe, she poked her head in the warriors den. There was no one there. Not a single cat in sight. Her heart began beating even faster, thumping in her chest. She checked the apprentices den. Nothing. Nursery. Nothing. Medicine Cat den. Elders den. She even checked the leaders den. Nothing. She could now hear her heartbeat in her ears, hammering rapidly. Suddenly, she felt dizzy and she collapsed to the ground. Where had they all gone?

Sunpaw searched her memory for something. Anything that might give her a clue. A thread began tugging at the back of her mind. She grabbed on to it and pulled it and the memories came spilling out. And she remembered. She dropped her head on her paws, which were shaking. In her mind, she saw a tabby she-cat with a pelt of silver and eyes like the night sky, a brilliant blue. She was sitting on the Highledge, her tail curled around her paws. Sunpaw was sitting below her, looking up expectantly. She could still hear her leader's calm, clear voice in her mind. _As you know, the Twolegs have caused many problems for us. They have been destroying our homes with their giant monsters. So I and the other leaders have decided, the Clans will be moving tomorrow. Every single cat from each Clan. We shall travel until we find a new suitable home. Be prepared for a long journey. This could take one quarter moon or six full moons. Be sure to come to the Gathering Place on the brink of dawn._ And she had forgotten.

Sunpaw wailed, scrambled to her feet, and ran, as fast as she could, into the forest. She didn't know where she was running and she didn't care at that moment. What was she going to do now? She had no idea where the Clans had gone. Was she going to go back to be a kittypet again? She ran until she was exhausted and collapsed to the ground. She whimpered softly and closed her eyes, still trembling. _StarClan, help me. _

When she opened her eyes again, Sunpaw found herself staring straight at a cat, with ginger fur much like her own. The sunlight made his pelt glow flame red, as if it was on fire. She scrambled backward and fell on her haunches, hitting the ground with a thud. The ginger cat purred, his green eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hello there, Sunpaw." His voice was deep and it rumbled.

"H-hello." She meowed back nervously, stammering slightly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Firestar. I was one of the leaders of ThunderClan, a long time ago." He replied. Sunpaw's eyes widened. This was one of the greatest leaders in the history of her Clan!

"What are you doing here? Where are the Clans? Did StarClan not see what the Twolegs did to us?" Sunpaw knew that it was rude to speak like that to one of the most important cats in ThunderClan's history, but she couldn't stop herself from asking these questions.

"StarClan has seen what the Twolegs did to the Clans. As always, they could do nothing to stop it. And so the Clans moved. They traveled for many days until they found the perfect place. Perhaps a little too perfect. They had found the enchanted meadow, which we tried to keep hidden from them. It was the result of a giant war between StarClan and the Dark Forest. Anyone who sleeps in the meadow will be put under the spell. And they undoubtedly would sleep in it. They will now sleep for eternity until someone breaks the spell. As for what I am doing here; well, Sunpaw, I am here to give _you _a message:

_The seed of the Sun lights the day._

_When the petal of the Moon hides away._

_Twin flowers they are, side by side._

_While a piece of the stars hang up high._

_The berries you need are a bite of death._

_So pick them gently, or it could be your last breath._

To find them, head east, where the sun rises. You need to find these items along the way. And if you succeed; maybe, maybe you could save the Clans." He dipped his head. "Farewell, Sunpaw. And may StarClan light your path." He glowed brightly for a few seconds and faded away, into the forest background.

"Wait!" She called out, ignoring the fact that _Firestar _had just dipped his head to her, and ran to where he originally was. "I have more questions!" But she knew he was already gone. Firestar was gone. And he had assigned her with this quest. This impossible quest.

"Oh, dear StarClan." Sunpaw dropped her head on her paws again. She buried her nose beneath her paws. What had she gotten into?

* * *

**A/N: Oh, wow. Thank you all for your positive reviews. **

**carifoo2001: I'll try to make them longer! Yes, you are the first reviewer!**

**dragons790: *facepaw* Oops. Fixed it!**

**Flight of the Carrion Crows: Thank you ! *salutes***

**Rising Blood-Sea: Thank you too! :D**

**SpecialGuest: Your review really made me smile! Thanks! :D**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_"The seed of the Sun lights the day._

_When the petal of the Moon hides away._

_Twin flowers they are, side by side._

_While a piece of the stars hang up high._

_The berries you need are a bite of death._

_So pick them gently, or it could be your last breath."_

The ginger she-cat paced back and forth, repeating the words to herself over and over again. She had done this for a long time. The sun was now at its peak, high up in the sky. A lone cloud drifted by aimlessly. "The seed of the sun…. I wonder what that could mean…." Frustrated, she slashed at a nearby tree trunk. Her long claws caused thin scratches on the bark, adding to the claw marks that had been etched there earlier. "This is so confusing!"

She took her anger out on a leaf, shredding it to pieces. Sunpaw growled, digging her claws in the ground. "Why does StarClan have to give a prophecy right now? The Clans can be asleep forever! Why now of all times?" She lifted her head up to the sky and yowled. "How am I supposed to do this? How am I supposed to do this impossible quest?" She whispered to herself, finally sitting down. "I'm just a kittypet. I can't even hunt a piece of prey. How am I supposed to save the Clans?" She wailed, and began to shake again. "Mother…what am I supposed to do?" She abruptly stopped her wailing. Mother.

She had not thought about her mother in a long time, not after she had abandoned her in the forest so long ago.

_White._

_White everywhere._

_The bitter winter wind howled in her ears as the snow flurried around her. It whipped and lashed at her cheeks as she trudged forward through the heavy snow. The tips of her ears and nose were numb with cold. Her paws left footprints in the wasteland of cold and white. She shivered, shaking clumps of snow from her pelt as she continued walking. _

_She should have known better than to travel in a storm. She should have known. But disappearing during a storm was not as suspicious. It was an excuse for her. And the kit. _

_She looked down on the small kit running beside her, trying to keep up. Her flaming ginger fur was dampened by the snow that had melted on her pelt. Her amber eyes, usually bright, were dulled from walking so long in the cold. Each step took difficulty but she was determined. A sharp gust of wind blew by and the kit stumbled, landing head-first in the snow. She stood back up, shook her head, and scampered to her side. _

_She was finally beginning to see something in the storm. A thin, gnarled tree, or rather the skeleton of it, as the cold had wiped away the color from it. It had washed away the leaves and the greenness of a tree. It had painted it gray and white, colors of winter. She walked past the tree, deeper in the skeleton forest. And finally, she spotted what she had been searching for. _

_A den. A small den, just big enough for her and the kit to fit in it. She ducked her head under the stone overhang and walked in the den. The kit stumbled in after her, shivering all over. She lifted her nose and sniffed around. There was the lingering scent of fox, but it was old, really old. She suspected that they had moved on to another place a long time ago. _

_She shook her pelt again, trying to get rid of the clumps of snow. She curled up as best as she could on the cold stone floor, trying to keep warm. The kit curled up next to her, still shivering, and nuzzled her. "I'm hungry, mother." The kit mewed, her voice small and quiet. Her big, round eyes looked up at her, full of innocence. Her heart throbbed. She licked the top of her head and said softly, "After this storm stops, we can go out and find food, okay?" Her heart clenched as she finished saying it. "Okay." The kit bobbed her head up and down and closed her eyes. She stared down on the kit, her kit, and curled her tail around her protectively. The blizzard was still going on; the wind was still howling, the snow still falling. She closed her eyes as well, hoping to catch some sleep for the journey back._

_When she woke up again, the kit was still sleeping. The storm had died down and sunlight was peeking over the gray clouds. She stood up and faced the she-kit sleeping on the ground, unaware of what was about to happen. She padded up to the ginger kit and licked her head one last time. "I'm sorry." She whispered, as quietly as she could, in order not to disturb the kit. She took one step towards the entrance. I'm hungry, mother. Another step. After this storm stops, we can go out and find food, okay? Another. Okay. She ran out of the den. Her last words echoed in the stone den, her voice replaying over and over again. I'm sorry._

**A/N: Sorry for not getting this chapter up sooner! I was just a bit busy with homework and I'm just really lazy.**

**Ms. Cinder: Because...they're evil. Just kidding! They could have simply forgotten or not bothered to wake her up cause she's weird and cats don't really like her. Oh, and she used to be a kittypet. Either one could explain.**

**karifoo01: XD Sorry this took so long!**

**Lex: Thanks! I wanted the prophecy to be a little vaguer because, well, they could all die. Just because they are sleeping doesn't mean they can't die. They would die from dehydration while sleeping. How nice. **

**SpecialGuest: One item right! She has to get thy deathberries. As for why no one woke her up, check the underlined portion of my authors note. **


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